Thill-coupling



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. KEHM AND PHILLIP H. KEHM, OF MASON CITY, IOWA.

THlLL-COUPLlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601,796, dated April 5, 1898.

Application filed August 25,1897. Serial No. 649,467. (No model.)

have invented certain new and useful I1nprovements in Thill or Pole Couplings; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,- clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had .to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in thill or pole couplings; and the object of the same is to provide a cheap and effective means for readily connecting the thill or pole iron to the axle, the

coupling being of such construction that the thill or pole iron may be readily connected when placed in avertical position and moved laterally and when swung will be held against displacement, the block with which the thill or pole iron engages having an aperture for the reception of an antirattling-spring, said spring engaging with the cross-bar of the thill or pole iron, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In'the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a thill or pole coupling constructed in accordance with ourinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional View, and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line'3 3 of Fig. 2.

A refers to an axle-clip which is provided with a forwardly-proj ectin g block, which may be integral with the forward portion of the clip. The forwardly-projecting block A is provided with a vertical aperture or recess a, having parallel side walls, and one of the other Walls is slightly inclined, so that the vertical opening will be of a greater width at the base than at the top, the function of such construction being to permit the ready insertion of an antirattling-spring of the type shown and referred to by .the reference-letter B, said antirattling-spring being held against downward displacement by the outwardly-bent ends of said spring, which lie over the upper face of the block, as is fully shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, while the vertical portions of the antirattling-spring bear upon the cross-bar 0f the thill or pole iron.

The forward portion of the block A is constructed to provide a socket for the end of the thill or pole iron and presents a portion a, which extends outwardly fromthe axle-clip, the block being centrally cut away for the passage of the thill or pole iron, and it is also cut away so as to permit the thill or pole iron to be passed into the block. The thill or pole iron is of the usual type and has formed on its end a circular cross-bar O, the ends of said cross-bar being adapted to lie in a horizontal recess in the block, said recess being intersected by the recesses through which the thill or pole iron passes. The horizontal recess is of such diameter that it extends through the vertical wall in advance of the antirattling-spring, so that said spring may bear upon the cross-bar of the thill or pole 1ron.

With this device it is not necessary to use connecting-bolts and the antirattling-spring can be readily applied and when applied is not liable to become detached.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is V A thill-couplin g consisting of a clip A, having a projecting block A, with an aperture a therethrough, the rear wall of the aperture being inclined to provide an opening which is wider at the base than at the top, a transverse socket in advance of the aperture a and connected by an opening therewith, a thill-iron havin g a circular cross-bar and a shank which projects therefrom and a metallic antirattlin gspring B made of a single piece of wire to present coils, the upper end members farthest from the coil being bent outwardly so as to lie over the top wall of the block, an intermediate portion bearing upon the cross-bar of the thill-iron, the parts being combined and organized substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa-' tures in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK AI KEHM. PHILLIP H. KEHM.

Witnesses:

A. H. GALE, E. W. CLARK. 

